In a unanimous vote on Tuesday evening, San Francisco became the largest city in the U.S. to ban the sale of fur.
"The sale of fur products in San Francisco is inconsistent with the city's ethos of treating all living beings, humans and animals alike, with kindness," said San Francisco district supervisor Katy Tang. “We’re trying to pave the way to a less cruel future of fashion.”
As reported by the New York Times, small-scale furriers make an estimated $40 million in SF sales alone, and it’s not yet known how much the city-wide ban will affect the financial standings of domestic and international fur traders. Regardless, it’s a winning moment for animal rights activists.
"San Francisco has today put itself on the map as a world-leading city in kind, progressive law making," said Kitty Block, CEO of the Humane Society International. "Let's see this ban replicated in cities, states and countries across the world."
The new law is part of a series of recent animal-rights legislations, including last year’s bill to sell only rescue dogs and cats at SF pet stores.
San Francisco's ban will go into effect in January 2019, but retailers will have through January 2020 to sell their current inventory.